Can I still work alongside my studies?

- Most students complete their degree programme full-time. This means that their studies take centre stage and usually take up around 40 hours per week. The hours of the part-time job then have to be adapted to the degree programme. An alternative to full-time study is part-time study. This reduces the study programme to 40 %, 50 %, 60 %, 70 % or 80 %, leaving more time outside the study programme. The important thing here is that the duration of the degree programme is extended. You can find more information about working alongside your studies here: studierendenwerk/geld/jobben-im-studium. You can find more information on financing your studies here: studierendenwerk/beratung/studienfinanzierungsberatung.

Will I still have time for friends and leisure?

- If you are studying full-time, you will spend approx. 20 hours per week on courses during term time. You can organise the remaining 20 hours or so yourself and they are intended for studying for exams, preparing for and following up on courses or working on assignments, among other things.

What can you do in Oldenburg?

- Oldenburg has a beautiful city centre where you can stroll around, there are cosy and original cafés and great museums and cultural institutions. In the evening, Oldenburg has a great nightlife. Oldenburg is a bike-friendly city close to nature with many surrounding bathing lakes. The North Sea is not far away either. You can find more information about leisure activities in Oldenburg here: Campus life - leisure - art - culture - sport.

Can I live well in Oldenburg?

- As in many student cities, the issue of housing is not entirely straightforward. In addition to some student halls of residence in Oldenburg, there is of course also the option of looking for a flat or shared flat. You can find support on the subject of housing here: campusleben-wohnungssuche.

How do I finance my studies?

- One way to finance your studies is through student grants. Other options include part-time jobs or scholarships. You can find more information on financing your studies here: campusleben/studienfinanzierung.

How much will my degree programme cost?

- The costs of your studies are made up of the semester contribution, your rent and other individual expenses. Accordingly, the costs vary from student to student. The semester fee includes, among other things, the Deutschlandticket: Semester fees.

What should I do if I haven’t been accepted onto my second degree programme?

- If you haven’t been accepted for your second subject, it’s not the end of the world. You could enrol in a subject with no entry requirements and start your studies straight away. It is possible to change subjects at a later date. You can find further information and contact details here: study/apply/change-subject.

What do I need to consider when choosing my subjects?

- If you wish to keep your options open to work as a teacher in a school later on, you must choose a second subject that is a teaching subject. You can find information on the requirements for combinations of subjects for the career goal of teaching here: Faecherkombinationen_Lehramt.pdf. It is also important to note that you will later undertake your pre-service training in your chosen subject. If you have a career goal outside of school, you can combine the subject of Special Education with any other subject. The combination of Special Education and Education is often chosen.

How long will my degree programme take?

- Under the standard period of study, your Bachelor’s degree takes 6 semesters, i.e. 3 years. The Master’s degree takes a further 4 semesters (2 years).

Do I have to choose my special educational needs specialisations straight away when applying?

- No, you don’t have to. Here in Oldenburg, you study across categories, meaning that during your Bachelor’s degree you will be introduced to all the special educational needs specialisations offered in Oldenburg and only need to commit to two specialisations during your Master’s degree.

What Master’s programmes are offered in the field of special education and rehabilitation education at the University of Oldenburg?

- The University offers the degree programme Master of Education in Special Education (leading to a teaching qualification in special education) and the Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Education (leading to a career outside the school system). Another non-teaching Master’s degree programme is the Master of Arts in Educational Sciences (degree programme/erziehungs-bildungswissenschaften-master).

Can I have previous credits and/or professional experience and training credited or recognised?

- Yes, this is possible. You can find further information here: Recognition of professional qualifications and here: https://uol.de/anerkennung. Many students can also have their orientation internship credited through an apprenticeship, a voluntary social year (FSJ) or similar: Credit for the orientation internship (prx111).

How practical is the programme?

- In addition to the orientation internship, there are three further internships spread across the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes. Overall, the link between theory and practice is a high priority at our Institute. In addition to the regular internships, we offer numerous practice-oriented modules, some of which are based at our Centre of Excellence for Joint, Holistic Development Support (KoggE). There are also numerous co-operations with schools and other practical institutions. Teachers from the schools participate in seminars with a school-related focus (e.g. preparation for school placements). During your studies, there are also various opportunities to go on excursions.

Who can I turn to for help and advice before starting my studies?

- If you have any questions before starting your studies, there are many different points of contact at the university. A specific point of contact for special education is our Coordinator for Studies and Teaching, Bastian Rieß (koordinator-fuer-den-ausbau-sonderpaedagogik). You can find further contact persons at the Student Advisory Service: Study and Career Counselling Service // University of Oldenburg and on the central advisory pages for prospective students: studium/beratung-studieninteressierte.

Is it possible to spend a semester abroad?

- Yes, you can spend a semester abroad in Special Education. We have various partner universities and would be happy to advise you at an early stage if you are interested. You can find further information here: https://uol.de/sonderpaedagogik/internationalisierung.

How, where and when do I apply?

- You apply online via the Enrolment page under ‘1st semester’ from mid-May to mid-July. You can only start the Special Education programme in the winter semester. It is also possible to start the programme in a higher semester during the summer semester if you have previously studied a similar degree programme.

What is Special Education?

- Special Education is a branch of pedagogy that deals with the education and support of people with disabilities. The aim is to enable and promote the participation of people with disabilities in a wide variety of areas of life (nursery, school, leisure, housing, work, etc.).

Do I need to meet any specific entry requirements?

- To study Special Educational Needs here in Oldenburg, you’ll need either a General Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Allgemeine Hochschulreife), a subject-related higher education entrance qualification (fachgebundene Hochschulreife), a University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification (Fachhochschulreife) for the relevant subject area, a ‘ ’ Z-exam, or relevant vocational training. You can find further information here: studium/studienberechtigung.

Where will I work afterwards?

- The fields of work in special educational needs are wide-ranging. On the one hand, you can work as a teacher at either a special school or an inclusive school. You can also work in the non-school sector. Extracurricular settings include, for example, work in residential homes, at counselling centres or socio-paediatric centres, in therapeutic facilities, supporting people in workshops for those with disabilities or in integrated employment schemes, inclusive work with pre-school children, further education and individual support, or even research.

Can I come and have a look at the university beforehand?

- You can visit the university during the HIT (University Information Day); you can find other options here: Study guidance services.

Why the BA Special Education here in Oldenburg?

- In contrast to other universities, Oldenburg has a cross-categorised Bachelor's degree. This means that you get to know all specialisations in the Bachelor's degree and only have to decide in the Master's degree which of the five specialisations offered you want to choose (mental development, physical and motor development, learning, behaviour/emotional and social development, language). Our Bachelor's programme is also polyvalent. This means that after starting your studies, you can decide whether you want to become a teacher for special needs education and follow your Bachelor's degree with a teaching-related Master's degree (M.Ed. Special Needs Education) or whether you would like to work in an extracurricular, special or rehabilitation education field in the future and, for example, follow a specialised Master's degree course such as the Master's in Rehabilitation Education.